Cameron and Osborne want growth – at any cost

Optimistic Dave is pressing home his advantage. His speech to the Lord Mayor's banquet last night talked up Britain's buccaneering spirit. He's pleading for a "fundamental culture change" based on embracing risk and reward. He talks about not just government policy, but the need for a social revolution in favour of entrepreneurs. Of course, his speech invites the answer that the Government needs to do more to generate that entrepreneurial revolution, through sweeping supply-side reforms that will get the state off the back of business and allow investors to get on with the work of creating wealth. Two messages have caught the headlines. We liked his stress on Britain's need to be "buccaneering", as did the Sun ("Buccaneer we go"). The Mail preferred his caution that austerity will be with us forever, as did the Indy.

What's noticeable today though is a degree of resistance. The FT chronicles growing unease at the way the Government appears willing to do anything to cut deals with China. It's surprising that there has been relatively little reaction to the news that the Chancellor has agreed to shift a major parliamentary occasion – the Autumn Statement – back 24 hours to Dec 5 to allow Mr Cameron to make his long-awaited visit to China (imagine if we asked for the date of the Third Plenum to be moved to accommodate a Chinese visit here). There's uncertainty too across the papers about the impact of Help to Buy on the housing market – lots of talk of overheating. My column today looks at the way economic success is giving the Tories more confidence and opening things up for them. We get new inflation and unemployment figures this week, and the Bank of England's revised growth forecast, all of which will help Mr Cameron's narrative of optimism. Even The Guardian's latest ICM poll, which widens the gap between Labour and Tories, still shows Mr Cameron outscores Ed Miliband on who makes the best PM.

Mr Cameron is plainly going for growth. Economic recovery and increasing national wealth are the policy imperatives that trump all other Government activity. George Osborne is likely to say more when he addresses the Telegraph's Festival of Business this afternoon. How does this translate in politics? The Cabinet is being left in no doubt that the Prime Minister wants growth at all costs. It's a sort of great leap forward. That may explain why, for example, immigration is becoming an increasingly fraught topic among ministers, with Theresa May under huge pressure to back down on numbers and soften her stance. We have badgered Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne to do everything for growth. Now they are trying to, and voices are being raised against them – too fast, too risky, too easy. Success brings its own worries.